Malacca is called Malacca in English, but it is called Melaka in Malay. Malacca is located in the south of the Malay Peninsula and a port town 148 kilometers away from the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. You have to learn about Malacca in advance if you want to visit it, because Malacca's tourist attractions have many histories and traditions.
In the 15th~16th century, Malacca was the center of the trade and business industry between the East and West. In the 19th century, England, Netherland, Portugal had a fierce battle to control Malacca. So Malacca is influenced by the Europeans culture. For example, the buildings such as the church, houses and so on follows the European architexture .
1. Tradition (by Yeji, Eun Jung)
1) House
house
Merlimau which is a traditional house in Malacca was built in the 19th century. This building has a very detailed interio. For it is made of wood-sculpture, and is surrounded by unique walls.
The floor of the house is 1 or 2 meres above the ground. So, if it rains a lot, the house will not be submerged in flood
In addition, When it is windy, we can get fresh air when we are in the house. However when we went to Malacca, we coudln’t find the house.
The traditional shoes of Malacca looks like the Chinese Dynasty shoes. This is because the shoes was first made during the Chiing Dynasty in China. Young girls at the age of four were forced to follow this tradition. Today young girls do not wear these shoes anymore. Today we can only find the custom made miniature shoes measures 3 inches in length in the museum.
Since Malaysia is an Islamic country, the traditional clothes is made of long sleeves, skirt, and pants. When we went to the Homestay in Malacca, we wore the traditional clothes of Malaysia. We felt comfortable because the clothes were loose. As this was our first experience wearing these clothes, we felt strange but it was still a great experience to us.
Baju Kurung is the traditional clothes of Malaysia. The word ‘Baju Kurung’ is combined from ‘Baju’ which means cloth and ‘Kurung’ which means trap. It can be interpreted as firmly bound clothes. These clothes have the characteristics which hide people’s body in such a long form, because Malaysia is a Muslim country. Actually, in the strict sense, Malaysian women’s traditional clothes are called Baju Kurung, and the men’s clothes are called ‘Baju Melayu’. But, because the world ‘Baju Kurung’ is known as the traditional clothes for both women and men, many people have called these ‘Baju Kurung’ regardless of sex.
- Tudung / Songkok
Tudung
Songkok
For the women, they wear a shawl on their head which is called ‘Tudung’ with Baju Kurung. For men, they tend to wear the hat which is called ‘Songkok’ and the fabric ‘Samping’ which is a type of belt on the waist.
4) Wedding
- Wedding preparation
Wedding preparation
Wedding preparation
Malaysians usually have their wedding after being engaged for a year or two years. After that, it’s time for a new life for the bride and groom. The groom is ready to give you the bride money as wedding gift.
- Engagement ceremony For the engagement, the bride and groom exchange rings. Here, the groom gives gifts to the bride’s parents
- Wedding ceremony The bride and groom sign the marriage certificate. The groom pays a money to the bride.A groom grabs the hand of the bride in the ritual greeting called“Salaam”. Finally, the wedding ends with the parents and relatives blessing both the bride and groom.
Kampung Morten is a traditional red-roofed house made of wood. It has a high ceiling and the bottom is 1~2m above the ground like Korean Hanok. This is done to make sure that the house is safe from flood when it rains a lot.
The Villa Sentosa, which was built in 1922, is the oldest house in Kampung Morten. Villa Sentosa can be easily found because it shows the Malaysian flag at the front of the house. It is a private house but it is now open as a museum to exhibit the landlord’s collection of antiques.
Approximately the 15th century, many Chinese began to settle in Malacca as sailors and miners. The combination of Chinese culture and Malaysian culture started because the Chinese men married the Malaysian women. This combination is called ‘Baba Nyonya’ or ‘Peranakan’. It is a compounded word of Baba (which means Chinese men) and Nyonya (which means Malaysian women). On Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, there are a lot of expensive houses of Chinese people in the narrow road. If you went inside, there is a Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum which has a characteristic of the Greco-Roman style. In this museum, the furniture tells people about the life of the people of China. It shows how they used the wedding robes, a room to play mah-jong, and also the coffins they were buried in after their deaths. The history of the migration of the Chinese people can be seen here in this museum. This museum is more than 100 years old.
*Location: 48-50 Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, 75200 Melaka
Time: Mon~Sat 10:00~12:30, 14:00~16:30(except Sunday, Holiday) / fee: 8RM
Christ Church is located next to the Stadthuys and it was built in 1753. This church’s nave and beam was made without fittings by techniques introduced in the Netherlands. The outside includes a Netherland-style clock tower and inside we can find a handcrafted chair. Inside the church, the floor is made of polished floor tiles and is engraved with the letters "The Last Supper"
St. Francis Xavier’s Church is a Gothic style twin tower. In 1849, Reverend Farve built it to honor St. Francis Xavier known as the ‘Apostle of the East’. St. Francis Xavier is known as the person who in the 16th century, spread Catholic religoun in Malaysia.
St. Paul’s Church is built by the Portuguese in 1521. It is located on St. Paul’s Hill. Currently, it is part of the Malacca Museum, with Fort A’Famosa, Stadthuys, and other historical buildings. And it has only a wall remaining. It was destroyed . Before St. Francis Xavier's body was moved to Goa in India, he was buried here in 1553. On the tombstone, theepitaph was written in Latin and Portuguese.
Fort A’Famosa is an impregnable fortress that was built in 1511. It is located on St. Paul’s Hill, overlooking the Straits of Malacca. After it suffered the invasion of the Netherlands, currently, only the citadel of the door and cannon remain. The door has a symbol of the East India Company.
Stadthuys was built in 1650 by the Netherlands. It is located in the administrative center of Malacca. Also it reflects the architectural style of the Netherlands, with red exterior. It is estimated as the oldest building of the Netherlands style in the East. It shows essence of woodworking and Stone Handiraft of Netherlands. The original form of construction at the time has been preserved and now it is used as a history and ethnology museum. It also displays the traditional wedding clothes of Malacca.
Malacca’s food is very complicated. Malaysian food is a mixture of Indian, Portuguese, Dutch and Chinese cuisine and spices of Malaysia. Malaysian food usually tastes sweet, spicy and sour. The ingredients are good for your health because Malaysians use coconut milk and sap of palm tree to make food sweeter.
Nonya food is a mix between Malaysian and Chinese food. The cooking ingredientof Nonya food is coconut milk, Malay spices and Chinese seasoning. This food is very simple because it is homecooked. Typically, this food that is fried is called ‘Baidee’, Another famous Nonya food is Chinese-style stir-fried ‘Chap Chye’, chicken which is combined with curry leaf, named‘Inche Kabin’. Nonya food can be seen in Malacca and also, Penang which is a Chinese majority neighborhood. Malacca style food is sweet because they are cooked with a lot of coconut milk and Penang-style is spicy because it uses hot chili peppers from Thailand. Nonya restaurants can easily bo found in Jonker Street.
Malacca is home to the “Asam Pedas” which is famous to Malaysians. Asam means tamarind fruit juice, and Pedas means spicy. This cooking is involves tropical fruit, asam, tomato sauce, fish and vegetable. It looks like fish stew. The taste is not fishy, but clean. So it tastes good if you eat this soup on rice like curry. If you want to eat Asam pedas, we recommend ‘Kafe Rumah Melaka’. Kafe Rumah Melaka is famous for various Malay, Malacca traditional food.
Cendol is the best dessert in Malacca. It is like Korean dessert, the red bean sherbet. The difference is that it is natural and it uses coconut milk instead of milk, “gula” instead of syrup. The spesial feature is green jelly which is made of “pandan” leaf, one of the flavorings in Cendol. This jelly is good for our body because it has the detoxification ingredient. To Malaysians who like durian which smells unique, they tend to put durian topping in Cendol. The Cendol which is sold at ‘San Shu Gong’ which is located at the Jonker Street entrance is very famous. when we ate cendol, it was similar ice flakes. It was very cold.
This is one of the desserts for Baba-Nyonya people who have been eating since they were young. When starch which comes from sago palm tree is put in water for one day, they become like jelly. Then, it is shaped like a ball by using the palms. Sago is made as small as the Eundan, and then is eaten with coconut milk. If you add in some fruits and “gula”, which is palm tree sugar, they will taste more nutty and sweet.
- Hello Malacca -
- Contents -
1. Tradition
1) House
2) Shoes
3) Clothes
2. Architecture
3. Food
1) Food
2) Desert
- Video -
interview
Animoto
Malacca is called Malacca in English, but it is called Melaka in Malay. Malacca is located in the south of the Malay Peninsula and a port town 148 kilometers away from the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. You have to learn about Malacca in advance if you want to visit it, because Malacca's tourist attractions have many histories and traditions.
In the 15th~16th century, Malacca was the center of the trade and business industry between the East and West. In the 19th century, England, Netherland, Portugal had a fierce battle to control Malacca. So Malacca is influenced by the Europeans culture. For example, the buildings such as the church, houses and so on follows the European architexture .
1. Tradition (by Yeji, Eun Jung)
1) House
Merlimau which is a traditional house in Malacca was built in the 19th century.
This building has a very detailed interio. For it is made of wood-sculpture, and is surrounded by unique walls.
The floor of the house is 1 or 2 meres above the ground. So, if it rains a lot, the house will not be submerged in flood
In addition, When it is windy, we can get fresh air when we are in the house. However when we went to Malacca, we coudln’t find the house.
(Picture source: __http://www.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20130124500012__)
(Source: __http://www.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20130124500012__)
2) Shoes
- Bound Feet Shoes
The traditional shoes of Malacca looks like the Chinese Dynasty shoes.
This is because the shoes was first made during the Chiing Dynasty in China.
Young girls at the age of four were forced to follow this tradition.
Today young girls do not wear these shoes anymore. Today we can only find the custom made miniature shoes measures 3 inches in length in the museum.
(Picture source: __http://www.cityturtle.com__)
(Source: __http://www.cityturtle.com__)
3) Clothes
Since Malaysia is an Islamic country, the traditional clothes is made of long sleeves, skirt, and pants. When we went to the Homestay in Malacca, we wore the traditional clothes of Malaysia. We felt comfortable because the clothes were loose. As this was our first experience wearing these clothes, we felt strange but it was still a great experience to us.
(Source: __http://blog.naver.com/akcsns?Redirect=Log&logNo=220034541151__)
- Baju Kurung
Baju Kurung is the traditional clothes of Malaysia.
The word ‘Baju Kurung’ is combined from ‘Baju’ which means cloth and ‘Kurung’ which means trap. It can be interpreted as firmly bound clothes. These clothes have the characteristics which hide people’s body in such a long form, because Malaysia is a Muslim country.
Actually, in the strict sense, Malaysian women’s traditional clothes are called Baju Kurung, and the men’s clothes are called ‘Baju Melayu’.
But, because the world ‘Baju Kurung’ is known as the traditional clothes for both women and men, many people have called these ‘Baju Kurung’ regardless of sex.
- Tudung / Songkok
For the women, they wear a shawl on their head which is called ‘Tudung’ with Baju Kurung. For men, they tend to wear the hat which is called ‘Songkok’ and the fabric ‘Samping’ which is a type of belt on the waist.
4) Wedding
- Wedding preparation
Malaysians usually have their wedding after being engaged for a year or two years. After that, it’s time for a new life for the bride and groom. The groom is ready to give you the bride money as wedding gift.
- Engagement ceremony
For the engagement, the bride and groom exchange rings. Here, the groom gives gifts to the bride’s parents
- Wedding ceremony
The bride and groom sign the marriage certificate. The groom pays a money to the bride.A groom grabs the hand of the bride in the ritual greeting called“Salaam”. Finally, the wedding ends with the parents and relatives blessing both the bride and groom.
(Picture source: __http://www.cityturtle.com/Baba_Nyonya_Wedding.html__, __http://blog.naver.com/naeun2004?Redirect=Log&logNo=130015768817__)
(Source: __http://www.cityturtle.com/Baba_Nyonya_Wedding.html__, __http://blog.naver.com/naeun2004?Redirect=Log&logNo=130015768817__)
2. Architecture (by Jihyun)
- Kampung Morten
Kampung Morten is a traditional red-roofed house made of wood. It has a high ceiling and the bottom is 1~2m above the ground like Korean Hanok. This is done to make sure that the house is safe from flood when it rains a lot.
The Villa Sentosa, which was built in 1922, is the oldest house in Kampung Morten. Villa Sentosa can be easily found because it shows the Malaysian flag at the front of the house. It is a private house but it is now open as a museum to exhibit the landlord’s collection of antiques.
(picture source: __http://www.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20130124500012__)
(Source: __http://www.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20130124500012__)
- Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum
Approximately the 15th century, many Chinese began to settle in Malacca as sailors and miners. The combination of Chinese culture and Malaysian culture started because the Chinese men married the Malaysian women. This combination is called ‘Baba Nyonya’ or ‘Peranakan’. It is a compounded word of Baba (which means Chinese men) and Nyonya (which means Malaysian women). On Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, there are a lot of expensive houses of Chinese people in the narrow road. If you went inside, there is a Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum which has a characteristic of the Greco-Roman style. In this museum, the furniture tells people about the life of the people of China. It shows how they used the wedding robes, a room to play mah-jong, and also the coffins they were buried in after their deaths. The history of the migration of the Chinese people can be seen here in this museum. This museum is more than 100 years old.
*Location: 48-50 Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, 75200 Melaka
Time: Mon~Sat 10:00~12:30, 14:00~16:30(except Sunday, Holiday) / fee: 8RM
(Picture source: __http://mtpb.co.kr/mal2/places/05_06_p02.asp__)
(Source: __http://mtpb.co.kr/mal2/places/05_06_p02.asp__)
- Christ Church & St. Francis Xavier’s Church
Christ Church is located next to the Stadthuys and it was built in 1753. This church’s nave and beam was made without fittings by techniques introduced in the Netherlands. The outside includes a Netherland-style clock tower and inside we can find a handcrafted chair. Inside the church, the floor is made of polished floor tiles and is engraved with the letters "The Last Supper"
St. Francis Xavier’s Church is a Gothic style twin tower. In 1849, Reverend Farve built it to honor St. Francis Xavier known as the ‘Apostle of the East’. St. Francis Xavier is known as the person who in the 16th century, spread Catholic religoun in Malaysia.
(Source: __http://mtpb.co.kr/mal2/places/05_06_p02.asp__)
(Picture source: __http://www.thailove.net/bbs/board.php?bo_table=m_pic&wr_id=1039__)
- St. Paul’s Church
St. Paul’s Church is built by the Portuguese in 1521. It is located on St. Paul’s Hill. Currently, it is part of the Malacca Museum, with Fort A’Famosa, Stadthuys, and other historical buildings. And it has only a wall remaining. It was destroyed . Before St. Francis Xavier's body was moved to Goa in India, he was buried here in 1553. On the tombstone, theepitaph was written in Latin and Portuguese.
(source : __http://blog.naver.com/akcsns/130182185256__)
- Fort A’Famosa/Porta De Santiago
Fort A’Famosa is an impregnable fortress that was built in 1511. It is located on St. Paul’s Hill, overlooking the Straits of Malacca. After it suffered the invasion of the Netherlands, currently, only the citadel of the door and cannon remain. The door has a symbol of the East India Company.
(picture source : __http://blog.naver.com/dannie421/220052055386__)
(source : __http://blog.naver.com/akcsns/130182185256__)
- Stadthuys
Stadthuys was built in 1650 by the Netherlands. It is located in the administrative center of Malacca. Also it reflects the architectural style of the Netherlands, with red exterior. It is estimated as the oldest building of the Netherlands style in the East. It shows essence of woodworking and Stone Handiraft of Netherlands. The original form of construction at the time has been preserved and now it is used as a history and ethnology museum. It also displays the traditional wedding clothes of Malacca.
(Picture source : __http://mtpb.co.kr/mal2/places/05_06_p02.asp__)
(Source :__http://mtpb.co.kr/mal2/places/05_06_p02.asp__, __http://www.sejintour.com/renew/html_go/info/world/asia/malaysia/malacca.htm__ )
3. Food (by Hyunjung, Jiyeon)
1) Malay Food
Malacca’s food is very complicated. Malaysian food is a mixture of Indian, Portuguese, Dutch and Chinese cuisine and spices of Malaysia. Malaysian food usually tastes sweet, spicy and sour. The ingredients are good for your health because Malaysians use coconut milk and sap of palm tree to make food sweeter.
(Source: __http://www.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20130124500012__)
(Picture source: __http://www.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20130124500012__)
- Nonya Food
Nonya food is a mix between Malaysian and Chinese food. The cooking ingredientof Nonya food is coconut milk, Malay spices and Chinese seasoning. This food is very simple because it is homecooked. Typically, this food that is fried is called ‘Baidee’, Another famous Nonya food is Chinese-style stir-fried ‘Chap Chye’, chicken which is combined with curry leaf, named‘Inche Kabin’. Nonya food can be seen in Malacca and also, Penang which is a Chinese majority neighborhood. Malacca style food is sweet because they are cooked with a lot of coconut milk and Penang-style is spicy because it uses hot chili peppers from Thailand. Nonya restaurants can easily bo found in Jonker Street.
(picture source: __http://navercast.naver.com/magazine_contents.nhn?rid=1639&contents_id=17094__)
- Asam Pedas
Malacca is home to the “Asam Pedas” which is famous to Malaysians. Asam means tamarind fruit juice, and Pedas means spicy. This cooking is involves tropical fruit, asam, tomato sauce, fish and vegetable. It looks like fish stew. The taste is not fishy, but clean. So it tastes good if you eat this soup on rice like curry. If you want to eat Asam pedas, we recommend ‘Kafe Rumah Melaka’. Kafe Rumah Melaka is famous for various Malay, Malacca traditional food.
- KafeRumah Malacca: open 8am-7pm except Sunday.
(Picture source: __http://www.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20130124500012__)2) Sweet Desert
- Cendol
Cendol is the best dessert in Malacca. It is like Korean dessert, the red bean sherbet. The difference is that it is natural and it uses coconut milk instead of milk, “gula” instead of syrup. The spesial feature is green jelly which is made of “pandan” leaf, one of the flavorings in Cendol. This jelly is good for our body because it has the detoxification ingredient. To Malaysians who like durian which smells unique, they tend to put durian topping in Cendol. The Cendol which is sold at ‘San Shu Gong’ which is located at the Jonker Street entrance is very famous. when we ate cendol, it was similar ice flakes. It was very cold.
(Picture source: __http://blog.naver.com/akcsns?Redirect=Log&logNo=130177853999__)
- Sago
This is one of the desserts for Baba-Nyonya people who have been eating since they were young. When starch which comes from sago palm tree is put in water for one day, they become like jelly. Then, it is shaped like a ball by using the palms. Sago is made as small as the Eundan, and then is eaten with coconut milk. If you add in some fruits and “gula”, which is palm tree sugar, they will taste more nutty and sweet.
(Picture source: __http://hansoyool.blog.me/70165423827__)